Came For
by Alacruxe
Summary: Ernest and Bowman share a smoke. SO2 ficlet, light slash if you squint. Yes, I went there.


**Came For**

**Plot Summary**: Ernest and Bowman share a smoke. (Bowman PoV)

**Pairings**: Light Ernest/Bowman if you squint.

**Warnings**: Possible spoilers, not that anyone cares about that. Unbeta'd.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Star Ocean 2 or any characters within. Someone else out there does. I'm only writing this for the sake of my enjoyment and that of my readers. I gain nothing more. Thanks for reading; now, on with the story!

**Author's Note**: After a conversation with a friend over the topic of this ficlet (Ernest and Bowman sharing a cig, that is), I decided I freaking HAD to write it. The following fic is proof of the fact that I slash _everything_. Yes, Bowman is married. Yes, Ernest is dating Opera. No, there is no (direct) snogging or any other major intimacy in this ficlet. Either way...don't like, don't read.

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Both of us smoked. It wasn't like we were heading straight into a nicotine orgy or anything. Ernest just happened to have a pack of cigarettes when I neglected to bring mine, and...well, that was all. We had been in Arlia with Rena that night, but we were on our way to Linga; still, I wasn't really in any sort of hurry to get out of the area, regardless of whether Ernest was or not. It was peaceful to say the least, and my life lacked peace of any sort at that time, so relaxation was a must. And what better way to relax than to have a smoke in the most peaceful place on Expel?

That was my mentality, at least. Rena hadn't exactly approved. While I'd been expecting her to merely kick me out of the house, she didn't stop there; no, she even persuaded the Elder to kick me out of the entire village. From what he told me, when Ernest found out, he was pretty upset. He left Arlia in my direction, and just happened to take a pack of cigs with him on his way out.

It didn't take long for me to discover I'd forgotten my own pack at Rena's house. I searched every pocket (and mind you, they're numerous) in my coat , but the search proved fruitless, and I was left to sit and curse to myself in the middle of a grassy Expellian field. It must have been at least ten minutes before Ernest caught up. I heard him before I saw him; he was panting, and the thick sound of boots hitting the solid earth was enough to alert me of his arrival.

"Bowman," he breathed as he finally made it to where I was sitting, my back to a solitary tree. While it was quickly growing darker and my vision was limited to a few inches in front of me, Ernest seemed to have spotted me immediately.

_Three eyes,_ I reminded myself. He must have had it easy.

"Ernest," I replied, allowing my surprise to lift my voice an octave. "What are you doing here?" Propping my elbows against the tree's trunk for support, I pulled myself into standing, and blinked my eyes a few times to allow them to adjust to the dimness. Ernest looked pretty disheveled, like he'd gone through a fight or two on his way here. His whip was at the ready hooked to his belt, only further proof of my assumption.

Flashing me a rugged grin, he opened up his fist to reveal the previously-hidden parcel: a pack of cigarettes. Handing it to me as he caught his breath, he stated matter-of-factly, "You forgot something." I smiled back and took the gift.

"Thanks, Ernest." Rather than taking the entire pack, I withdrew a single cigarette. _No need to be greedy_, I reminded myself. "Got a light?"

Right after I said that, a full drizzle of rain broke out above our heads. The tree's sparse foliage did little to keep us sheltered. Before long, we were soaked. It seemed as though even nature itself was opposed to smoking. Ernest laughed dryly at the irony. "I did, but...Guess it doesn't matter much now."

Ernest replaced the pack in a pants-pocket and moved closer to me. It surprised me at first, but he revealed his intentions quickly afterward, and it put me a little more at ease. He removed his coat in a single swipe of fabric and eased it up into the tree's bare branches, stretching it out over our heads like a sort of makeshift umbrella. Even afterward, however, Ernest remained close to me. Maybe he wanted a smoke, too...

He yanked a lighter from his pocket and handed it to me. "Here," was all he said before tucking his hands into his pockets and leaning against the tree beside me. He looked at me expectantly.

Without needing any more urging, I lit the tip of the cigarette, my hand shielding the flame from the wind and any rain that attempted to get past the barrier of Ernest's coat. I handed the lighter back to Ernest and he replaced it in a separate pocket. I inhaled deeply.

Ernest did something strange then. He turned and looked at me, again expectant, and held out his hand. I wasn't exactly sure what he wanted. I withdrew the cigarette from my lips and exhaled; Ernest grabbed my wrist roughly, looking stern. Without knowing what to do and not wanting to sound too indignant with my friend, I let him tug my hand toward his lips.

Without letting go of my wrist, Ernest placed the cigarette between his teeth and took a quick drag. _Oh,_ I thought, _so that's why he didn't take one out for himself._

My hand was released shortly afterward. I guided it back toward my own lips, taking another drag without hesitation. It tasted different, but I wasn't complaining. After breathing out a short train of smoke, I turned back to Ernest questioningly. He shook his head and smiled a little. "No thanks, I'm good." He turned away from me and yanked his coat down from the boughs effortlessly, adding, "I got what I came for."

The cigarette went out within seconds as the rain began to fall on us once more. I didn't really mind, though...I had gotten what I came for, too.

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**Author's Note**: There you go, you've gotten your fix. Leave a review if you feel so inclined. I do so love feedback. 


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